Daily GK Updates - 16th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. World Sustainable Development Summit 2018 inaugurated in New Delhi: PM Modi inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit 2018 in New Delhi. Event has been organized by The Energy and Resources Institute to discuss frameworks to resolve climate change crises in developing countries. The summit will see participation from over 41 countries, bringing together different stakeholders in the fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors.

2. Government to change the base year for GDP and IIP: The government will change the base year to 2017-18 for calculation of GDP and IIP numbers while for retail inflation the year will be revised to 2018. Change in base year is significant as capturing economic activity much away from base year gives unrealistic numbers & does not capture changed economic scenario. Earlier in 2015, CSO had changed the base year for GDP to 2011-12 from 2004-05.

3. #YesIBleed campaign to be launched: Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi will launch a menstrual hygiene campaign on February 20.

The objective of the campaign is to create a holistic approach to issue of menstruation, which is an experience that transcends culture, class, and caste. The campaign called “#Yes I Bleed” will be initiated formally across all multi-media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. WADA suspends Romanian laboratory: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended Romania’s drug-testing laboratory for six months. WADA has imposed the sanction on the lab in Bucharest due to a number of non-conformities with regulations. The lab is now forbidden from testing any samples and must transfer any in its possession to another laboratory.

2. Vikas Sathaye honoured at Oscars: Vikas Sathaye has been honoured with the Scientific and Engineering Academy Award at the Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards 2018. Sathaye and his team received the award for his contribution towards conceptualisation, designing, engineering, and the implementation of the ‘Shotover K1 Camera System’.

3. China to host SCO Summit in Qingdao: China has announced that this year’s summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will be held in the city of Qingdao in June. SCO focuses on security-related issues of the region specially on counterterrorism cooperation. It is comprised of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India & Pak.

4. Japan reappoints Kuroda as Bank of Japan Governor: Japan’s govt has reappointed Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda to serve another 5 yr term. It would make Kuroda the longest-serving BOJ head in half a century, a sign of Abe’s confidence in Kuroda ability to pull Japan’s economy out of stagnation

5. Cyril Ramaphosa elected as the new South African President: Cyril Ramaphosa has been elected as South Africa’s new president by ruling party legislators after the resignation of Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa was the only candidate nominated for election in the parliament after two opposition parties said they would not participate. Ramaphosa is South Africa’s fifth president since majority rule started after the end of apartheid in 1994.

6. K P Sharma Oli becomes Nepal PM: The Communist Party of Nepal (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli has become new Prime Minister of Nepal. This is the second time Mr. Oli has become the prime minister. He had served as prime minister from October 2015 to August 2016.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. Yes Bank lists country’s first $600m MTN bond: Yes Bank has announced the listing of its debut US $600 million bond issue under its maiden US $1 billion medium-term note bond on country’s first international exchange BSE’s IndiaINX. With this, Yes Bank’s MTN programme became country’s first capital raising platform for international investors in any currency.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. HomeShop18, Shop CJ Network merge businesses: E-commerce company Homeshop18 and home shopping network Shop CJ Network have combined their businesses. This combination makes HomeShop18 the largest TV home-shopping network in India. The resultant benefits of scale shall better the growth prospects for the combined entity, allowing it to improve its standing in the TV home-shopping landscape.

2. Umang App wins Best M-Govt Service award: Umang App was named as the winner of the Best M-Government Service award in the Accessible Govt category while Aadhar won the best emerging technology award at the World Government Summit 2018 in Dubai. Aadhaar was also recognized as the world’s largest biometric-enabled identification programme.

3. Odisha Govt to sponsor Indian hockey team: Indian hockey has got a new sponsor in state govt of Odisha, which has decided to support the game for next 5 years. It is for the first time a state is sponsoring a national hockey team. Odisha is regarded as the cradle of hockey & has produced greats like Dilip Tirkey & Ignace Tirkey. Odisha has been supporting the game with various initiatives & also won the Kalinga Lancers in the HIL.

SPORTS:

1. Martin Guptill becomes the highest run-scorer in T20 matches: Martin Guptill has become the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals with his 2nd century against Australia. It took Guptill’s international T20 career total to 2,188 runs, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s 2,140, Kohli is the next highest on the all-time list with 1,956.

Daily GK Updates - 15th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Government extends Anti-Narcotics Scheme to combat illicit drug trafficking: The government has extended the anti-narcotics scheme for 3 more years to combat illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance. The purpose of the scheme is to assist states and Union Territories, which are contributing in controlling the inter-state and cross-border drug trafficking. The scheme was first launched in 2004 for a period of five years.

2. India to host the 8th Theatre Olympics, to be inaugurated at Red Fort: In an effort to put India firmly among the top nations in the world theatre map, the country will play host to the 8th Theatre Olympics, the greatest carnival of thespianism. The 51-day theatre extravaganza which will be inaugurated at Red Fort It will see 450 shows including 65 shows by international artistes, 600 ambient performances and 250 youth forum shows.

3. NEET mandatory for MBBS aspirant going abroad: Government makes it mandatory for Indian students to clear NEET to obtain an eligibility certificate for applying to medical colleges abroad. Currently, anyone who scores 50% in 12th boards is eligible to go abroad which is why Medical Council of India proposed making NEET mandatory. A common national entrance exam— NEET— is mandatory for admission to all medical courses in the country.

4. No GST on food served to patients in hospital: The government has clarified that the food served to patients admitted to the hospital is part of healthcare services and is therefore exempt from GST. However, the food served by the hospital to patients who are not admitted will be taxable. Also, there will be no GST levied on services provided by doctors, consultants, and technicians at the hospital.

5. Karnataka’s Hampi as ‘Iconic Tourism’ site: The Centre announced that Karnataka’s Hampi monuments will be among the ten destinations selected as ‘Iconic Tourism’ sites. In his Union Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the sites will be provided support for holistic infrastructure and skill development. Other selected sites include the Taj Mahal, Konark Sun Temple, and Ajanta and Ellora caves.

6. Bangla becomes first State to opt out of ‘Modicare’: Bengal CM Mamata has opted out of Centre’s ‘Modicare’ scheme. She said state already has a scheme of its own. This makes West Bengal the first state to withdraw from the ambitious programme. Arun Jaitley had announced the NHPS on February 1, making it the biggest global plan to provide quality health cover to a population larger than the combined citizenry of the US, UK, Germany & France.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Japan posts longest growth since 1980: The Japanese economy posted its longest period of growth since the 1980s boom. The world’s third-largest economy expanded at annualized rate of 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2017, the eighth straight quarter of expansion. The growth was mainly due to increased consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the country’s GDP.

2. South Africa’s Jacob Zuma resigns: Jacob Zuma has resigned from the post of South Africa’s President after defying a 48-hour deadline given by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to leave the office. Zuma, who had to face a no-confidence vote in Parliament said, “I fear no motion of no confidence” He said, “No life should be lost”. The ANC should never be divided in my name.

3. Trump bats for Harley, threatens reciprocal tax on motorcycles: US President Donald Trump has slammed India for high import tariffs on high-end motorcycles and threatened to impose a ‘reciprocal tax’ on motorcycles imported from India. He added that the recent decision of India to reduce the customs duty from 75% to 50% was not enough.

OTHER UPDATES

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Andromeda formed after Earth: Milky Way’s nearest spiral galaxy Andromeda formed in a “recent” crash between two smaller star systems when Earth already existed. China and Europe-based astronomers have found this in study. Scientists showed that two galaxies, with a galaxy four times more massive than the other, fused between 1.8 billion and 3 billion years ago to forge Andromeda.

2. NASA to send meteorite from Mars back to Mars: NASA is sending a Martian meteorite, discovered in 1999, back to the Red Planet aboard its Mars 2020 rover. The rock will be used as target practice for a high-precision laser called ‘ SHERLOC’ on the rover. After calibration, the rover will take pictures of Martian rocks and analyse them to look for chemicals that make the ingredients of life.

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. PNB loses ₹3,800 crore m-cap: Punjab National Bank’s market capitalisation fell by more than ₹3,800 crore after the bank detected fraudulent transactions worth over ₹11,300 crore at a Mumbai branch. The bank is currently valued at ₹35,365 crore after its shares fell nearly 10%. The CBI is investigating billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his firms in relation to the fraud transactions.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. TATA and Wipro among 135 most ethical companies in the world: Tata Steel and Wipro are the two Indian companies that have been named by US-based Ethisphere Institute in the list of World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2018. The think tank has honoured 135 companies from 23 countries and 57 industries. Notably, Tata Steel and Wipro are receiving the award for the sixth and seventh time respectively.

2. BHEL bags Rs 560 Crore Order from NTPC: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has bagged an order worth Rs 560 crore from NTPC for setting up a system for emission control. BHEL has secured the order for “supply and installation of the flue gas desulphurisation system from NTPC for 2×490 MW National Capital Power Station at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

Daily GK Updates - 14th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. India-Russia Agriculture Business Summit held: India-Russia Agriculture Business Summit 2018 was held in New Delhi. The two countries discussed trade relations in the agricultural sector. The summit was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Gajender Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Sergey Beletskiy, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Russia addressed the Summit.

2. PBNS shortlists Siddharth for top edit job: A high-level committee has identified Siddharth Zarabi for Head of TV News in DD News and Abhijit Majumder for the position of Chief Editor, Prasar Bharati News Service (PBNS). Zarabi with 20 years of work experience is currently Executive Editor of Business TV India while Majumder is Managing Editor of Mail Today newspaper. The Prasar Bharati board is slated to meet February 15.

3. Centre to consolidate small savings laws: In a bid to consolidate the legislations pertaining to small savings schemes, the government is proposing a merger of the various laws into a Government Savings Promotion Act. The government gives highest priority to the interest of small savers. In order to remove existing ambiguities due to multiple Acts and rules for small saving schemes, the government has proposed merger.

4. Ashok Das appointed Indian envoy to Brazil: Ashok Das, a 1987 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, was named India’s new Ambassador to Brazil. Das, presently additional secretary in the external affairs ministry, is expected to take up his assignment shortly, according to a ministry statement. Both India and Brazil are members of the BRICS economic grouping that also includes China, Russia and South Africa.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. UK team to study ice shelf in the Antarctic: A British Antarctic Survey-led team will investigate a marine ecosystem hidden for up to 120,000 years beneath the Larsen C Ice Shelf, which lost a trillion-tonne iceberg last year. They will investigate the 5,818-square-km of seabed left exposed by the separation. The team plans to conduct the research before sunlight changes the undersea environment changes, giving birth to new species.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Air Force gets vintage Dakota aircraft: Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal (ACM) B.S. Dhanoa received a restored World War-II DC3 Dakota aircraft from an IAF veteran. The gift deed was signed between ACM Dhanoa and Air Cdre (Retd) Chandrasekhar at a handover ceremony. The DC3 Dakota aircraft Parashurama bearing the Tail Number VP-905 will be part of the IAF’s vintage fleet.

2. Government to buy assault, sniper rifles: The Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has cleared proposals worth nearly ₹16,000 crore to buy seven lakh assault rifles and 5,700 sniper rifles. Over ₹1,800 crore was sanctioned to procure Light Machine Guns through the “fast track” route.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. India’s first Online Radio Station Launched: India’s 1st Online Radio Station ‘Radio Umang’ was launched recently in India. Listeners can tune in to this online radio station through web streaming or download the app. With 24 hours programming, it has found listeners in Hindi speaking regions of India and in over 60 countries worldwide.

2. Delhi-Pune in top ten air routes: Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi, Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi and Mumbai-Bengaluru-Mumbai routes continued on top, ranked in terms of number of seats deployed. Routes such as Delhi-Pune-Delhi have, however, climbed from the fifteenth place in 2007 to the sixth place in 2017. It is according to data sourced from civil aviation research firm OAG.

3. Bajaj Allianz Insurance partners with Quikr: Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has entered into a partnership with Quikr to increase the insurance outreach and offer people with adequate financial protection. With 30 million monthly Unique Visitors, Quikr will be a new age distribution channel for Bajaj Allianz’s products. Under this key agreement, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products.

Daily GK Updates - 13th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. 4th Meeting of Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister held in New Delhi: The 4th meeting of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman, EAC-PM & Member, NITI Aayog. During the meeting, EAC-PM discussed the possible modalities of implementing National Health Scheme announced by the government in Union Budget-2018-19. Besides, presentations were also made on Health Reforms, World Bank Report on Indian Economy and on Indian Fiscal – Monetary Framework. National Health Protection Scheme (Ayushman Bharat Scheme) will cover 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.

2. 12th International Conference on CSR Held in Bengaluru: The Institute Of Directors organised it’s 12th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In the conference, the Prestigious Golden Peacock Award 2017 were presented. The leadership award for philanthropy and social change was presented to Mr. Vineet Nayar, Founder Chairman, Sampark Foundation.

3. R.K. Singh Inaugurates International Conference ‘Indian Power Stations 2018’ in New Delhi: Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R.K. Singh inaugurated the ‘Indian Power Stations 2018’ in New Delhi. It is the three-day International Conference on Operations and Maintenance. The Minister exhorted the NTPC to become India’s power sector multinational by setting up power plants in other Nations and become world’s largest power producer.

4. India posts marginal increase in forest cover: India posted a marginal 0.21% rise in the area under forest between 2015 and 2017, according to the biennial India State of Forest Report 2017. The document says that India has about 7,08,273 square km of forest, which is 21.53% of the geographic area of the country. Getting India to have at least 33% of its area under forest has been a long standing goal of the government since 1988.

5. Chandrashekhar Kambar to head Sahitya Akademi: Kannada litterateur Chandrashekar Kambar has been elected as president of the Sahitya Akademi in the election held for the post. Hindi poet Madhav Koushik has been elected as vice-president. Prof. Kambar is the third Kannada writer to head the country’s premier literary institution, after Vinayak Krishna Gokak (1983) and U.R. Ananthamurthy (1993).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. World Radio Day observed on 13 February: World Radio Day is observed annually on 13 February. The theme for WRD 2018 is “Radio and Sports“. The Day is organised globally by the UNESCO.

2. Pakistan to get its first Hindu woman MP: The Pakistan Peoples Party’s Krishna Kumari is poised to become the country’s first woman Hindu lawmaker next month, after the party nominated her for the upcoming Senate elections.

3. World’s first Autonomous Pods unveiled in Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority launched the first tests of the world’s first autonomous pods at the World Government Summit. The pods are launched in cooperation with Next Future Transportation and are designed to travel short and medium distances in dedicated lanes. They can be coupled together in as little 15 seconds or detached depending on the riders’ destination in five seconds.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. Cryptocurrency regulation is inevitable-IMF: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde has stated that regulatory action on cryptocurrencies is “inevitable”. “It’s clearly a domain where we need international regulation and proper supervision,” she said.

2. BoB to exit South Africa after controversies: Bank of Baroda will reportedly exit the South African market amid allegations that politically connected Gupta family used its network for illicit transactions. Authorities alleged that the Gupta family used the bank to transfer large sums of illegal money and influence President Jacob Zuma.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. 4% Growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in One Year: Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) & FTAs on e- Tourist Visa on the basis of Nationality-wise, Port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI). The growth rate in FTAs in January 2018 over January 2017 was 8.4%. During the month of January 2018, a total of 2.40 lakh foreign tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 1.52 lakh during the month of January 2017 registering a growth of 58.5%. The percentage share of top 3 source countries availing e- Tourist Visa facilities are- UK (18.6%), USA (10.6%), Russian Fed (6.5%). The percentage share of top 3 ports in foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa are- New Delhi Airport (37.3%), Mumbai Airport (19.6%) and Dabolim (Goa) Airport (12.4%).

SPORTS:

1. Kishan Gangolli Wins 13th Edition of National Chess Championship for Blind: Defending champion Karnataka’s Kishan Gangolli won the 13th edition of the National ‘A’ Chess Championship for the blind in Mumbai. The championship was organised by All India Chess Federation for the Blind (AICFB). Gangolli became the champion for the fifth consecutive time with 10.5 points. Gujarat’s Ashvin Makwana stood second with 9.5 points.

Daily GK Updates - 12th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Bihar Government bans the sale of loose cigarettes: Bihar Government has banned the sale of loose cigarettes in the state. This decision aims to be deterrent to kids and youngsters who start smoking by buying loose cigarettes. In this regard, state health department has issued notification under Section 20 of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. Bihar is the 12th state in the country to bring such a ban into effect after Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and others.

2. Nitin Gadkari releases India’s first-ever Highway Capacity Manual: The Minister of Road Transport & Highways Mr Nitin Gadkari, released India’s first ever Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) in New Delhi. The manual is also known as Indo-HCM and it has been developed by CSIR – CRRI on the basis of an extensive, country-wide study of the traffic characteristics on different categories of roads like a single lane, two-lane, multi-lane urban roads, and the associated intersections on these roads.

3. Centre drafts 10-city plan to clean Ganga: The Centre has drafted a plan to check the flow of sewer water into the river Ganga by installing sewage treatment plants (STP) in 10 major cities. These cities reportedly contribute about 65% of the total polluted water flowing into the river. As per an official of National Mission for Clean Ganga, these STPs would ensure 100% sewage treatment.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Asia’s largest Christian meet at Maramon: The 123rd Maramon Convention which is billed as Asia’s largest week-long annual Christian meet began. It started with a call to conserve river Pampa and the environment at its traditional venue on the riverbed of Pampa at Maramon near Kozhencherry on Sunday afternoon.

OTHER UPDATES

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. NITI Aayog suggests setting up of separate debt office in India: NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar made a strong case for setting up an independent debt management office, saying better servicing of loans could lead to substantial reduction in India’s interest payments. At present, the government debt is managed by the RBI. The interest payment on the public debt is estimated to rise from Rs 5.3 lakh crore in 2017-18 to Rs 5.75 lakh in 2018-19.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Indian engineer, Vikas Sathaye, awarded at Sci-Tech Oscars: Vikas Sathaye, an engineer from Mumbai, is part of a four-member team that bagged the ‘Scientific and Engineering Award’ at the Oscars 2018 Scientific and Technical Awards. The team was honoured for the development and implementation of Shotover K1 Camera System. The six-axis stabilised aerial camera mount gets attached to the base of helicopters and helps in shooting steady footage.

SPORTS:

1. Sharmila Nicollet becomes the first Indian Golfer to qualify for China LPGA Tour: Sharmila Nicollet has become the first Indian golfer to qualify for the China Ladies PGA Tour. The 26-year-old Bengaluru golfer fought her way back into the tournament in the last two rounds to earn a card for the Tour. Sharmila had played on the Ladies European Tour before losing her full card, played her three rounds in the CLPGA Tour Qualifying School.

2. Rohan More becomes the first Asian to swim across Ocean Seven: Rohan More became the first Asian as well as the first Indian to swim across the Ocean Seven. He is the youngest to complete it. He swam across the Cook Strait between North and South Islands of New Zealand in 8 hours and 37 minutes. With this, More becomes only the ninth person in the world to complete it. He has also received the Tenzing Norgay Award from the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

OBITUARIES:

1. Johann Johannsson passes away: Acclaimed Icelandic musician and Oscar-nominated composer Johann Johannsson has passed away aged 48. In 2014, he was nominated for BAFTA, Grammy and Oscar awards for his score for ‘Theory of Everything,’ and won the Golden Globe award. Johannsson also recorded several albums of his own, including “Fordlandia” and “Orphee.”

Daily GK Updates - 11th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Narendra Modi launches project for first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a “catalytic agent” of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India’s identity. Modi laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.

2. Meghalaya Assembly met for 96 days in 5 years: The eighth Meghalaya Assembly met for 96 days during its tenure of 5 years, an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report has revealed. A total of 51 bills were passed in the 60-member Assembly and the average attendance for each member in the Assembly was 53 days, it added. Notably, the Meghalaya Assembly elections are scheduled for February 27.

3. UIDAI says no essential service can be denied for want of Aadhaar: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked various government departments, state governments and ministries to ensure that no essential service or benefit, such as medical treatment, school admission or ration through Public Distribution Service (PDS), be denied to a genuine beneficiary for the want of Aadhaar. The move comes at a time when several cases have been reported where the beneficiary has either died due to starvation as the Aadhaar-enabled point-of-sale machine at the local ration shop failed to authenticate his/her biometrics or medical treatment has been denied due to lack of Aadhaar.

3. Narendra Modi meets Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, India, UAE sign 5 pacts:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10% stake in offshore oil concession. Modi also visited Wahat Al Karama, the UAE martyr’s war memorial in Abu Dhabi. He is to  travel to Dubai where he will interact with the Indian community at an event at the Dubai Opera House and will witness the groundbreaking ceremony of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony will be live-streamed to the Opera House. Prime Minister Modi will also deliver a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai where India is a guest of honour this year. He will make inaugural address on the theme: Technology for Development.

4. Railways to terminate services of over 13,000 ‘absentee’ employees: The Indian Railways has identified more than 13,000 employees in its ranks who are on “unauthorised” leave for a long time and initiated disciplinary action to terminate their services. The railways had launched a drive to improve performance of the organisation and boost the morale of sincere and diligent employees. The action is part of that campaign.

5. Mumbai 12th richest city globally; total wealth at $950 billion: According to a report by New World Wealth, the economic hub of India is the 12th wealthiest city, followed by Toronto with a total wealth of $944 billion, Frankfurt (14th, $912 billion) and Paris (15th, $860 billion). The list of 15 wealthiest cities was topped by New York with a total wealth of $3 trillion. London ranked second in the list with $2.7 trillion, followed by Tokyo ($2.5 trillion), and San Francisco Bay area ($2.3 trillion). Others in the list include Beijing ($2.2 trillion), Shanghai ($2 trillion), Los Angeles ($1.4 trillion), Hong Kong ($1.3 trillion), Sydney ($1 trillion), Singapore ($1 trillion) and Chicago ($988 billion).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. UAE telecom employees get 'Happiness Bank': The UAE's Telecom Regulatory Authority has installed a 'Happiness Bank' for its employees in Dubai as a means to award them with surprises. Employees can redeem points received as tokens of appreciation from colleagues in the form of a surprise gift from the bank. The employees are asked for their areas of interest when they open their 'Happiness Bank' account.

2. Gevora, the world’s tallest hotel, opens in Dubai: Gulf metropolis Dubai, on its never-ending quest to break records, announced the opening of the "world's new tallest hotel" on Sunday, pipping another towering landmark in the city for the title. The gleaming gold 75-storey Gevora Hotel stands 356 metres, or nearly a quarter of a mile, tall. The new record-holder is within view of its predecessor, Dubai's JW Mariott Marquis - just one metre shorter. Dubai is also home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which pierces the city skyline at 828 metres (half a mile) high.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING / FINANCE:

1. Rules on cryptocurrencies should be out soon-SEBI Chief: Amid continuing volatility in bitcoin prices and growing concerns about investors’ safety, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) chairman Ajay Tyagi said the regulations on cryptocurrencies should be out soon and the role various regulators will play is being finalised. Tyagi, who is part of the committee formed by the government to examine the pros and cons of virtual currencies (VCs), including launching an own cryptocurrency, said that a policy in this regard should come out first and then only the role of Sebi can be outlined.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Electric vehicle sales to see double-digit growth till 2020- Assocham and EY Report: Electric vehicle (EV) sales in India are expected to witness a double-digit growth till 2020, fuelled by government measures for the sector and reducing battery prices, among others, says a report. A joint study by Assocham and global advisory services firm EY said, although EVs are not yet mainstream, government push and increasing consumer awareness are driving EV adoption in India, pointing to a growing momentum. Currently, EVs are not so popular owing to the high Li-ion battery costs.

2. Singapore Exchange to open trading in Indian products as per normal: In its continuing assurances to traders, Singapore Exchange said its entire India suite of products, including Nifty, will open and operate per normal on Monday. The SGX reiterated and reassured international traders of its Indian product trade from Monday. This comes after the Indian Exchanges on 9 February announced a decision to stop the commercial licensing of their indices and market data with a number of foreign exchanges and other business partners.

3. ONGC to acquire stake in UAE’s ADNOC oil offshore concession: India’s biggest explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) is due to sign a contract to acquire a stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)’s offshore oil concession. That would make ONGC the first firm to secure a stake in the new concession which expires in March. Sources told Reuters that ONGC would get up to a 10% stake, valuing the deal at $600 million.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Indian scientists to hold 'Darwin Week' to support evolution: Several scientific organisations and universities across the country will be organising 'Darwin Week' from February 12 to remove "any doubt that has been planted in the minds of common people about Darwin's theory of evolution." This comes after Union Minister Satya Pal Singh's earlier remark that Darwin's theory was scientifically wrong, and that it shouldn't be taught in schools.

DEFENCE:

1. End cap on education fee of martyrs' kids-Defence Ministry: The Defence Ministry has asked the Finance Ministry to remove the cap of ₹10,000 per month on education aid provided to children of martyrs and those disabled on duty. The policy for financial assistance was initiated in 1972 but the government put a limit on it in July 2017. Officials estimated that 250 students were affected by the policy change.

OBITUARIES:

1. Pakistan’s iron lady Asma Jehangir passes away: Pakistan’s top lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jehangir passed away on Sunday due to a cardiac arrest in Lahore, her family said in a statement. She was 66. Known for her bold stance, Asma was the country’s symbol of resistance and a human rights activist who spoke against military dictators and abusers of law for the past five decades. She headed the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and remained the Supreme Court Bar Association chairperson. She was also appointed as UN Rapporteur in the region during the 1990s.

Daily GK Updates - 10th February, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. ‘Shankhnaad’ creates world record: A record was set at the Rajim Kumbh Mela in Chhattisgarh after over 2,100 saints and locals blew ‘shankh’ (conch shells) together. Golden Book of World Records has certified the record.

2. Modi Conferred ‘Grand Collar Of The State Of Palestine’: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine after he arrived in Ramallah as part of his three-nation tour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ by President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, recognising his key contribution to promote relations between India and Palestine. The Grand Collar is the highest order given to foreign dignitaries – Kings, Heads of State/Government and persons of similar rank.

3. First woman Chief Justice of Manipur HC: Justice Abhilasha Kumari is the first woman to become the chief justice of the Manipur High Court. Justice Kumari has served as a Gujarat High Court Judge and Chief Justice of Tripura High Court. She has also served as additional advocate general of Himachal Pradesh after the Congress government came to power in March 2003.

4. NITI Aayog’s health index report released: Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu were the top rankers in NITI Aayog’s latest Health Index report. The report attempted to establish an annual systematic tool to measure and understand the heterogeneity and complexity of the nation’s performance in the health sector.

5. NHAI to Start ‘Pay As You Use’ Pilot Project: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will start a pilot project called “pay as you use” on the Delhi-Mumbai Highway. It will study and implement the ability of the system in the country. The project to be run for one year involves implementing a satellite-based electronic toll collection system running on GPS/GSM technology for around 500 commercial vehicles.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Mahmoud Abbas receives Modi in Palestine: PM Narendra Modi’s first engagement after arriving in Ramallah was to lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of Late President Yasser Arafat. Modi, who is on his maiden trip to Palestine, will be received by President Mahmoud Abbas. Prior to Modi, former President Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Palestine in October 2015 and January 2016 respectively. However, Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Palestine.

OTHER UPDATES

BANKING/ FINANCE:

1. Application for Education Loans to be made online only: The government has directed the banks to only accept online applications for education loans in a bid to make the loan disbursement process transparent and efficient. The banks have also been asked to not consider any application received in physical form. The move also aims to tackle the delay in sanctioning of the education loans.

2. SBI posts a quarterly loss, NPAs the reason: India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Friday reported a loss of ₹2,416.4 crore for the December quarter, marking its first quarterly loss in at least 17 years. The bank had reported a standalone profit of ₹2,610 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

BUSINESS/ ECONOMY:

1. Indians are the top the list of visitors to Dubai: Dubai witnessed 15% growth in tourist arrivals from India in 2017, hosting 2.1 million visitors, retaining top spot as the source market. It also became the first country to cross the 2 million mark in a single year. The growth is mainly due to the success of Dubai Tourism’s ongoing collaboration with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the ‘BeMyGuest’ campaign.

SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY:

1. Scientists simulate Mars mission in an Oman desert: Over 200 scientists from 25 countries have chosen a desert in Oman to field-test technology for a manned Mars mission for four weeks. Analog astronauts would sport a 50-kg spacesuit and stay in an inflated habitat, having a 10-minute communication delay from their base in Austria. The project features 15 experiments including exploration of the surface using a wind-powered rover.

2. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft beams the farthest image: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has beamed back an image while being 6.12 billion km away, breaking a 27-year-old record set by Voyager 1. NASA’s Voyager 1, the farthest man-made object, had captured the “Pale Blue Dot” photo of Earth before exiting the Solar System. Meanwhile, New Horizons shared an image of a Kuiper belt object, beyond the orbit of Neptune.

3. Asteroid shaves past the Earth-NASA: Asteroid 2018 CB, estimated to be around 15-40 metres in size, safely flew past Earth making a closest approach of about 64,000 kilometres, nearly one-fifth the average Earth-Moon distance, on Saturday at 4:00 am IST, NASA revealed.

SPORTS:

1. Indra Nooyi becomes ICC’s First Female Director: PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi has been appointed as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) first-ever independent female director. Nooyi will join the cricket body in June 2018 for a 2-year term. The introduction of an Independent Director, who must be female, was approved by the ICC in June 2017, aimed at improving the global governance of the sport.

2. Winter Olympic Games Starts In Pyeongchang: The 23rd Olympic Winter Games officially kicked off at Pyeongchang in South Korea. 92 countries are participating in the event. There will be 102 medals up for grabs in Pyeongchang, covering seven sports and 15 disciplines. Hosts South Korea also produced a show of unity with neighbours North Korea during the ceremony.

3. World record for using maximum drones at Pyeongchang Olympics: As many as 1,218 drones outfitted with LED lights were used during a light show at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. This made a world record for the ‘most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously’. The drones, controlled through an automated software program, flew in sync and created light-up images of Olympic sports and the Olympic rings.